Instant Grounding: Patrick Wolf's Favourite Albums

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

2. StereolabEmperor Tomato Ketchup

When my mother painted she would put on French chanson, Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, and Maurice Chevalier and really traditional 20s and 30s recordings, so I grew up with a lot of French singing in the house. ‘Cybele’s Reverie’ was the first thing I heard on the radio, and it felt very maternal, in a way, because it was like my mother’s music. That song became my personality for, like, a whole year. I had the 10” of it on my mantelpiece and would play my grade three violin over the top of it. I was considering Mars Audiac Quintet, but that feels more beautiful, and this feels more jazz, so actually, this album could be my mother and my father in one album. I return to it, and it still brings me a lot of joy. It makes me feel very innocent to life and discovering music for the first time.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Captain Sensible
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